You Scouts are gonna love this highly collectible bat that smacks baseballs at the other team, stunning the living crap outta anybody dumb, slow, drunk, mute or Australian enough to get in the way.

— Sandman publicity blurb

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The Sandman is an unlockable melee weapon for the Scout. It is a wooden bat with a smooth black grip, complete with a logo reading "The Sandman" engraved on the side, and a black band tied around the end holding a cracked section of wood together. Accompanying the bat is an "All Ballers League" baseball manufactured by "Ball Fortress".

In addition to sharing the attack speed and damage of the normal Bat, pressing alt-fire (default key: MOUSE2) with the Sandman will cause the Scout to launch the baseball towards the enemy. Successfully hitting a target with the baseball will slow the enemy as well as damage them, provided that they are a sufficient distance away. While an enemy is slowed, an icon reading "BONK!" will appear above their head, and his run speed will be capped at 225.88 HU per seconds, regardless of the class. The slow duration depends on how long the ball has been in the air; the longer the ball's travel time, the longer the victim will be slowed, ranging from 1 to 7 seconds. If the enemy is hit with a baseball that has traveled for sufficiently long, the victim will suffer a moonshot, identifiable by a cheering audience sound clip, and will be slowed for the maximum slow duration. If the Scout launches the ball short of the minimum slow distance, the ball will hit and inflict minor damage but will bounce off the enemy with no effect. The Scout is also only equipped with one baseball, which will reload after a 10-second interval indicated in the cooldown bar on the HUD. Despite being a projectile, the baseball is considered a melee weapon meaning it uses the higher critical chance of melee weapons and will deal double damage to Heavies that have the Fists of Steel active.

Baseballs can be picked up off the ground, whether owned by the player or another Scout, or by visiting a Resupply locker. Baseballs are not classed as ammunition and thus cannot be retrieved by picking up dropped weapons or ammo packs. A baseball that does not hit an enemy will remain on the ground and disappear after 10 seconds, effectively the time it takes the Scout to gain a new one. After slowing an enemy, it will disappear much more quickly - after about three seconds - but can still be picked up and used again if acquired before it disappears. As a projectile, the ball will arc towards the ground, and can be deflected by an enemy Pyro. The ball can also hit and bounce off of enemy grenades, Jarate, Mad Milk, and even enemy Scout baseballs.

Scouts carrying the Sandman will lose 15 max health points, lowering their base health to 110. The weapon is therefore suited to support tactics, as it places the player at greater risk of death during combat.

Update history

The Sandman was added to the game. The baseball is automatically fired if available upon primary fire; there is no alt-fire ability. It applies immobilizing stun at any distance and is capable of stunning ÜberCharged enemies in exchange for disabling the Scout's double jump and dealing half damage to unstunned targets.

Bugs

Rarely, if a player throws the ball at a wall while the Scout is in close range and they pick it up off the ground, let it refill, or go to a Resupply locker, the recharge bar will be full but the baseball will be missing resulting in it not being usable until the player dies.

Sometimes, if an enemy Pyro uses their compression blast to send the ball back and it hits a friendly player, the Scout may play a voice line implying the ball had hit an enemy.

In certain instances where the ball recharge meter is full and the Scout holds the ball ready, it cannot be launched.

Slowing opponents while they are taunting will make them able to move at the reduced slow speed before the taunt's completion, unless a moonshot is achieved.

If the player throws the baseball directly on the feet, the player will immediately retrieve the ball, leading to the Scout showing the animation, but not launching the ball.

The Sandman ball won't have any effect on a target who has been Übercharged at least once.

Trivia

The Sandman's name refers to the folklore character reputed to induce sleep by putting sand or dust in the sleeper's eyes.

The in-game model and logo for the Sandman are based on the "classic" Louisville Slugger baseball bats made by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company.